Data storage and retrieval systems are used to store information provided by one or more host computer systems. Such data storage and retrieval systems receive requests to write information to one or more data storage devices, and requests to retrieve information from those one or more data storage devices. Upon receipt of a write request, the system stores information received from a host computer in a data cache. In certain implementations, a copy of that information is also stored in a nonvolatile storage device. Upon receipt of a read request, the system recalls information from the one or more data storage devices and moves that information to the data cache. Thus, the system is continuously moving information to and from a plurality of data storage devices, and to and from the data cache.
In certain embodiments, a plurality of data storage devices are interconnected via a network, where that network comprises a plurality of individual switch domains each of which comprises one or more data storage devices. What is needed is a method to set the signaling rate for that network.